Tom Hardy says he has paid the price for transforming his body for film roles.

The actor, who bulked up for Bronson back in 2009 and again to play Bane in The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, says he fears he’s damaged his body too much by gaining weight for roles.

Tom Hardy has undergone many physical transformations in his career

Speaking about his next role as gangster Al Capone, Hardy said there will be a physical transformation for the role, but it won’t be as drastic as some of his previous efforts.

“It’s not the classic Al Capone that you necessarily envision with the silhouette,” he told The Daily Beast. “I don’t want to give too much away about it, but there’s definitely a transformation with that role. I don’t know if it’s as drastic as Bane.”

“I’ve probably damaged my body too much. I’m only little! If I keep putting on weight I’ll collapse like a house of cards under too much pressure,” he continued.

"I think you pay the price with any drastic physical changes. It was alright when I was younger, to put myself under that kind of duress, but I think as you get into your 40s you have to be more mindful of the rapid training, packing on a lot of weight and getting physical, and then not having enough time to keep training because you’re busy filming, so your body is swimming in two different directions at the same time.

“And then after the film I’m tired, and you maybe have to change your shape again and go back to your normal size for the next film. To go from one extreme to another has a cost.”

Hardy added that at 39 he now feels “achier” than he used to be, but he doesn't feel his transformations are as drastic as fellow method actor Christian Bale. “I’m certainly a bit achier than I used to be!” he said.

“Compared to Christian Bale I’ve been by no means extreme in my body changes, but for what little I’ve done, yeah, I certainly have joints that click that probably shouldn’t click, you know what I mean? And I carrying my children is a little bit harder than it used to be—but don’t tell them!”